The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) feels that a huge landfill for three or four adjacent civic body areas would be economical as these areas experience a population explosion.

Thirty-two civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), come under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Of these, the BMC alone disposes of nearly 6,000 tonnes of waste daily at its four dumping grounds at Deonar, Mulund, Gorai and Kanjur Village.

The TMC and the KDMC dispose of 3,300 tonnes daily at four other grounds.

But the dumping yards are filling up, and the mountains of waste being generated by the burgeoning population are only growing.

"The capacity of the dumping grounds to cater to the ever-increasing garbage flow from the city is decreasing," said MMRDA Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad. "We have proposed the setting up of a common garbage landfill site that can be used by three or four adjacent municipal corporations as a dumping ground."

The MMRDA has appointed a team to find a suitable plot for the common landfill. "The team is looking at various places, including areas like Vasai-Virar. We have also earmarked Rs 20 crore for this project in our budget," said Gaikwad.

The MMRDA wants a private operator to set up the common landfill site on a buildoperate-transfer basis. The operator will derive his returns from services rendered to the corporations and through the sale of compost and recycling material.

The MMRDA plans to shut down the existing dumping grounds once the common landfill site is functional.

zeeshan.shaikh@ hindustantimes.com What is a landfill? A landfill is a place where garbage is disposed of; first a layer of garbage is spread out, over which an earthmover spreads a layer of soil. Contaminated liquid is collected so as not to pollute the groundwater.

DEONAR: The 132 hectare-plot is the oldest dumping ground and receives 4,000 tonnes of waste daily. MULUND: Spread over 25 hectares, it receives 600 tonnes of waste daily.

GORAI (ABOVE): The controversial dumping ground receives 1,200 tonnes of waste daily. KANJUR VILLAGE: The 141-hectare plot is the latest to be added to the list of dumping grounds KOLSHET AND SHILPHATA: These grounds get nearly 1,000 tonnes of garbage daily from the Thane civic body. AADHARWADI AND TELKOSWADI: These dumping grounds are used for the 2,300 tonnes garbage that the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation disposes of daily. The Aadharwadi landfill processes 2,000 tonnes of waste daily TURBHE: Houses the dumping ground for Navi Mumbai.